Apparatus having a cover continually decreasing the degree of accessability of a target

ABSTRACT

A game device for two or more players embodying a bowl and a gravity-induced cover therefor, the cover being mounted on a specially formed spiral shaft, enabling the player to quickly push the cover upwardly to open position relatively to the bowl, causing a vibratory sound by slip passage of flexible pawl means on the cover. Then the player endeavors to throw into the bowl as many indicators, such as those of a group of colored balls assigned to him for the play, before the rapidly spinning downward moving cover closes the bowl.

United States Patent 1,080,299 12/1913 Richmond...;

Inventor Ned Strongin 936 Willow Road, Baldwin, N.Y. 11510 Appl. No.27,677

Filed Apr. 13, 1970 Patented Oct. 12, 1971 APPARATUS HAVING A COVERCONTINUALLY DECREASING THE DEGREE OF ACCESSABILITY OF A TARGET 3 Claims,3 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 273/102 R, 46/47 Int. Cl A63b 63/00 Field of Search 273/95 R, lR, 102 R, 105 R; 46/47, 68

- References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Primary Examiner-Anton O.Oechsle Assistant ExaminerMarvin Siskind Attorney-W. Lee Helms ABSTRACT:A game device for two or more players embodying a bowl and agravity-induced cover therefor, the cover being mounted on a speciallyformed spiral shaft, enabling the player to quickly push the coverupwardly to open position relatively to the bowl, causing a vibratorysound by slip passage of flexible pawl means on the cover. Then theplayer endeavors to throw into the bowl as many indicators, such asthose of a group of colored balls assigned to him for the play, beforethe rapidly spinning downward moving cover closes the bowl.

APPARATUS HAVING A COVER CONTINUALLY DECREASING TIIE DEGREE FACCESSABILITY OF A TARGET The invention will be described with referenceto the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIG. 1, is a front elevation of an embodiment of the invention, showingthe cover partly raised.

FIG. 2, is an enlarged, fragmentary vertical section of the structureshown in FIG. 1, with the spiral shaft shown in full lines, and pawls onthe cover in the position they assume on downward spinning movement, asindicated by the arrow as to direction of the cover spin.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section through the upper area of thecover, showing a portion of the spiral-surfaced shaft, the shaft beingshown in full lines, and the position of a plurality of pawls in theupward movement of the cover by the hand of the player.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that the lowermost member ofthe assembly is a bowl 1, having an upstanding sleeve-receptacle 2, fora shafi 3, the latter being spirally sur-.

faced, as shown. At the top of the shaft in the present embodiment ismounted in a finial, which in the present embodiment is a hat replica,since the bowl is formed to represent the body of a grotesque figure,and the cover is formed to represent the head; leg and arm formationsbeing carried by the body portion, i.e. the bowl. The said hat isindicated at 4.

Mounted on the shaft 3 by means of one or more spiral-contacting pawlsis a cover member 5. The spiral surface of the shaft is specially formedin that the lower formation of the spiral is upwardly tapered, whereasthe upper formation of the spiral is shouldered for the pawl or pawls toslide down.

thereon with the cover spinning by gravity and until the cover meets andrests on the bowl.

In the view shown in FIG. 2, the cover is to be considered as molded ofa form which includes a short downwardly directed sleeve 5- whichreceives and holds a depending tubular guide member 8, the latter havingopposed slots for passage in and out of the ends of two pawls, one pawlbeing in higher position than the other, as shown. These pawls areindicated at 7 as depending from a ring 6, and the ring and pawlspreferably are formed of springy, relatively hard, plastic.

In the operation of the structure, as a game, two or more sets ofindicators, each set different from the other or others as to color orform, are employed. The indicators are shown as balls. The player willfirst move the cover upwardly to full open position relatively to thebowl. In doing this the player will cause the pawls to slide up thetapered underface formations of a spiral, causing a vibratory sound bythe action of the spiral on the pawls in their flexible out and inmovements. When the cover is in uppermost position the player endeavorsto throw as many of his assigned indicators into the bowl before thecover closes the latter by its downward movement.

It will be understood that various modifications may be made in theelements shown in the drawing, without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is as follows:

1. A game device comprising a bowl, a shaft having a spiral surface andthe shaft rising from the bowl to a position substantially above it, amember adapted as a cover for the bowl and having at least one flexiblepawl means engaging the spiral of the shaft, whereby the said covermember is adapted for gravitational-spinning movement downward on theshaft, so that a time element may be provided between the time the covermember is raised on the shaft by a player and the time the cover spinsdownwardly to close the bowl, enabling the player to place as many ofhis game indicators into the bowl during said time and before the bowlis closed by the cover.

2. A game device constructed in accordance with claim I, in which thespiral of the shaft is formed with a lower upwardly inclined facemerging into a pawl-seat slip-face, in combination with a tubular guidedepending from the cover and slotted to receive the end of at least onepawl means, the tubular guide being adapted to slip on the outer faceformation of the s iral.

3. A game device constructed in accordance with claim I, in

which two flexible pawl means are employed, one above the other andintegral with a ring held by and depending from the interior wall of thecover, the ring and the flexible pawl means being of springy plastic.

1. A game device comprising a bowl, a shaft having a spiral surface andthe shaft rising from the bowl to a position substantially above it, amember adapted as a cover for the bowl and having at least one flexiblepawl means engaging the spiral of the shaft, whereby the said covermember is adapted for gravitational-spinning movement downward on theshaft, so that a time element may be provided between the time the covermember is raised on the shaft by a player and the time the cover spinsdownwardly to close the bowl, enabling the player to place as many ofhis game indicators into the bowl during said time and before the bowlis closed by the cover.
 2. A game device constructed in accordance withclaim 1, in which the spiral of the shaft is formed with a lowerupwardly inclined face merging into a pawl-seat slip-face, incombination with a tubular guide depending from the cover and slotted toreceive the end of at least one pawl means, the tubular guide beingadapted to slip on the outer face formation of the spiral.
 3. A gamedevice constructed in accordance with claim 1, in which two flexiblepawl means are employed, one above the other and integral with a ringheld by and depending from the interior wall of the cover, the ring andthe flexible pawl means being of springy plastic.